Experienced gardener: Nathan Greenway, 33, died of organ failure in hospital last September

An experienced gardener who died of multiple organ failure might have brushed past a toxic plant while working on a £4million estate days before his death, an inquest heard.

Nathan Greenway, 33, was taken to hospital after his wife found him 'drenched in sweat' and vomiting on the floor of their home in Aldershot, Hampshire last August.

Hours earlier, he had been working near the poisonous plant aconitum - known as Devil's Helmet' or Monkshood - while clearing weeds ahead of a party at Mill Court in exclusive Upper Froyle, near Alton, Hampshire.

He had worked at the sprawling estate - owned by retired venture capitalist Christopher Ogilvie Thompson and his wife, Katherine - for more than two years, it was heard.

The inquest heard there were two 'one-yard patches' of the toxic plant - a member of in the the buttercup family of ranunculaceae - in the garden and that the purple plant had been there for 35 years, during which time at least 15 people had worked on the estate.

Mr Greenway might have 'brushed past' the plant but was not handling it, it was heard.

The coroner said he could not be sure Mr Greenway had clear contact and recorded an open verdict.

On the day he was taken to hospital, Mr Greenway had been 'hoeing' and 'weeding' to prepare the grounds for a party at the estate that weekend.

David Edwards, who is the head gardener at the Mill Court Estate, worked with Mr Greenway on the day he fell ill.

He said: 'We were both getting the garden right and prepared for the party on the Saturday.

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'Nathan was weeding around the pond and I knew there was Monkshood, but I did not know it was dangerous. Nathan did not wear gloves, gloves were available but he did not wear them.

'The were two patches of Monkshood in the garden which were about one yard in diameter.

'He was hoeing around the Monkshood and he might have had to pick it out but apart from that he wouldn't have had to handle it. He could have brushed past it.'

Collapsed: Mr Greenway was taken to hospital after his wife, pictured, found him collapsed at their home

Sprawling: Mr Greenway had worked at Millcourt House, pictured, in exclusive Upper Froyle, near Alton, Hampshire, for two years, according to the estate's owner, Mr Ogilvie Thompson

Hours later, Mr Greenway's vision blurred, his fingers turned blue and that he struggled to breathe. He was also vomiting and had open cuts to his hands and fingers, the inquest heard.

His wife today described the moment she found him collapsed on their living room floor in the morning of August 28.

ACONITUM: QUEEN OF ALL POISONS

Aconitum - also known as aconite, monkshood, wolf's bane, leopard's bane, mousebane, women's bane, devil's helmet, Queen of all Poisons, or blue rocket - is a member of the buttercup family of ranunculaceae.

Several species of Aconitum are cultivated in gardens and are distinguished by either blue or yellow flowers.

They thrive in garden soils, and will grow in the shade of trees.

While the flower is striking, aconitum is one of the most poisonous varieties of garden plants.

Its distinctive and unpleasant taste means cases of accidental poisoning through ingesting the plant are extremely rare.

But it is also possible for poisoning to occur by picking the leaves without wearing gloves as the toxin is absorbed easily through the skin.

Symptoms appear almost immediately, and with large doses death can be almost instantaneous.

Initial signs include nausea and diarrhoea and can be followed by a sensation of burning, tingling and numbness in the mouth and face.

Other symptoms include sweating, dizziness and difficulty breathing.

Tribesmen used it to paralyse whales by smearing it on their arrows and harpoons.

Aconitum plant also known as Devil's Helmet

She said: 'He was drenched in sweat and his hands were tingling and he was scratching the lacerations on his hands.

'He was still being sick and I dragged him up the stairs and throughout the day he continued vomiting.

'His hands and feet were cramping and he could not breathe properly. He said his vision was blurred and said "I feel as weak as a kitten".

'He started to feel like he wasn't go to make it and asked me phone his father, Richard. Nathan was concerned for his life.

'Paramedics arrived and Nathan could only whisper and it was only until he went a shade of blue they took him to A&E.

'But when we got closer to the hospital a staff member was running across the car park, they thought they needed a specialist as they were thinking about Ebola as there was a huge panic about it at the time.